4
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but
who can withhold himself from speaking? 3Behold, thou
hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou
hast strengthened the feeble knees. 5But now it is come
upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art
troubled. 6Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy
hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? 7Remember, I pray
thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous
cut off? 8Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity,
and sow wickedness, reap the same. 9By the blast of God
they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce
lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. 11The
old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are
scattered abroad. 12Now a thing was secretly brought to
me, and mine ear received a little thereof. 13In thoughts
from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to
shake. 15Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of
my flesh stood up: 16It stood still, but I could not
discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was
silence, and I heard a voice, saying, 17Shall mortal man
be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
18Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he
charged with folly: 19How much less in them that dwell in
houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed
before the moth? 20They are destroyed from morning to
evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. 21Doth
not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even
without wisdom.

5 1Call now,
if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints
wilt thou turn? 2For wrath killeth the foolish man, and
envy slayeth the silly one. 3I have seen the foolish
taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 4His
children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate,
neither is there any to deliver them. 5Whose harvest the
hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the
robber swalloweth up their substance. 6Although
affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring
out of the ground; 7Yet man is born unto trouble, as the
sparks fly upward. 8I would seek unto God, and unto God
would I commit my cause: 9Which doeth great things and
unsearchable; marvellous things without number: 10Who
giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
11To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn
may be exalted to safety. 12He disappointeth the devices
of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the
counsel of the froward is carried headlong. 14They meet
with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the
night. 15But he saveth the poor from the sword, from
their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 16So the
poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. 17Behold,
happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the
chastening of the Almighty: 18For he maketh sore, and
bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. 19He
shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no
evil touch thee. 20In famine he shall redeem thee from
death: and in war from the power of the sword. 21Thou
shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be
afraid of destruction when it cometh. 22At destruction
and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the
beasts of the earth. 23For thou shalt be in league with
the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at
peace with thee. 24And thou shalt know that thy
tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation,
and shalt not sin. 25Thou shalt know also that thy seed
shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock
of corn cometh in in his season. 27Lo this, we have
searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

6 1But Job
answered and said, 2Oh that my grief were throughly
weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together! 3For
now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words
are swallowed up. 4For the arrows of the Almighty are
within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of
God do set themselves in array against me. 5Doth the wild
ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is
there any taste in the white of an egg? 7The things that
my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. 8Oh
that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing
that I long for! 9Even that it would please God to
destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself
in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of
the Holy One. 11What is my strength, that I should hope?
and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life? 12Is
my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass? 13Is
not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me? 14To
him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he
forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 15My brethren have
dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass
away; 16Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and
wherein the snow is hid: 17What time they wax warm, they
vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing,
and perish. 19The troops of Tema looked, the companies of
Sheba waited for them. 20They were confounded because
they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed. 21For
now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid. 22Did
I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?
23Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me
from the hand of the mighty? 24Teach me, and I will hold
my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25How
forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
26Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that
is desperate, which are as wind? 27Yea, ye overwhelm the
fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. 28Now
therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I
lie. 29Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea,
return again, my righteousness is in it. 30Is there
iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?